


A Raven's Crow

by globaldictator9



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Commoner!Shizuo, Eventual Smut, Fluff, I would say fairly OOC, M/M, Okay I don't actually know about that last one we'll have to see, Prince!Izaya, Slow Build, kingdom au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-21 16:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7394044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/globaldictator9/pseuds/globaldictator9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How exciting this must be for you," he said, slowly tracing a line down Shizuo's jaw. "Going from the Monster of Ikebukuro to the prince's personal pet. Whatever shall I do now that I finally have you?" Izaya breathed these last words closely next  to the blonde's ear and then skipped away, observing him with a mischievous smile.</p>
<p>Shizuo shifted uncomfortably in his shackles.</p>
<p>Or: Shizuo met Izaya at the age of 12 when he was thrown into the Orihara Family prison. The two meet again five years later. Except this time, it's more...permanent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! Allow me to introduce to you my first fanfiction story on AO3, revolving around everyone's two favorite love birds. Enjoy, but do beware the heavy backstory and slow build. I promise there will be more dialogue in the next chapter!( and an actual appearance of Izaya).

Shizuo Heiwajima had watched the same sham-of-a-thing-they-call-life be thrown at people since the moment he was born. He remembered sitting in the family kitchen and peering out the window- the only window in the whole tiny house for the matter, which was about to get even smaller based on his mother’s growing stomach- and watched people not much poorer than him try to wrangle money from people not much poorer than themselves. The rich lords and ladies of the city never strayed into the Common Quarters where people screamed deals from the Market Place and thieves carefully eyed targets from outside the masses of human and animal. Shizuo had always been glad that their house was on the edge of the street, closer to the alleys where the rats would scurry when it rained or where menacing men would linger in the dark. Better to deal with a few damn rats and criminals Shizuo would think, than be any closer to that monstrous crowd of people. He had always been frightened that he would somehow get sucked into it, a thousand arms and hands grabbing at him if he dared to get too close and never let go. One monster trying to consume another. He would always go to find his mom whenever he had these thoughts who would simply offer him a gentle smile and give him a cup of milk if they had any to spare. 

Shizuo’s family was only a little better off. His mother, who had always been fond of gardening, also had the added talent of being good at it and would go down to the little plot of land that they owned in the fields and come back with corn and potatoes and the occasional pumpkin. Most of their money came from his father, who was part of the Douglanikov military. He had no special title like that of a Captain or General. But he was an exceptional fighter and these were the days where loyalty paid well. 

Then the Douglanikov Empire challenged the Orihara Empire over ownership of the Ikebukuro territory. Armies were raised, battles were fought and the war ended with no definite victor. The two royal families begrudgingly agreed to declare the capital as neutral ground and everything ended just like that. But no one talked about the men sent out to fight on their king’s behalf. No ceremonies were held for the medics or the drummer boys or all the other people caught up in-between a century old feud. 

Shizuo lit a candle for his father and cried. His mother stared out emotionless into the starless night. A gut feeling told him that nothing would be the same come morning. He was right.

For a long time, Shizuo remembered living in a windowless room. It wasn’t completely bare. There was a dresser and purple curtains and a couch made out of fine material. Most of the space was taken up a bed, a huge bed that was bigger than most of the rooms in his old house, before his mother couldn’t pay the rent and had tearfully brought them here. This room was the only home Kasuka had ever known. And their mother, who would fix her hair every evening and put on a thin robe and often tell them to go play in the street for a while, mommy has a special friend coming over with blank eyes and a broken smile was the only mother Kasuka would ever know. It wasn’t until she suddenly caught a sickness from one of her “friends” and died a few weeks later were they thrown out of the room by a man who sneered at them and said that he didn’t have room for bodies that brought neither profit nor pleasure.

Shizuo was eight then. Now he was 12 and lived in an alley not too far from the windowless building where he had last seen his mother. The alleys were arguably one of the more dangerous places to be in the city but when you have the kind of strength Shizuo did and when people started to call you the “Monster of Ikebukuro,” it helped keep the common thugs and thieves away. Shizuo couldn’t give Kasuka much, but at least he had always been able to give him protection. And in return, Kasuka was his anchor. He was the person who comforted him when the whispers and stares became too much and when the cold nights reminded him of his tiny home that seemed like nothing more than a distant dream. He was the only quiet person in a city that never stopped talking. He never complained, never asked for more food or more blankets. Never once said aloud that he wished that he had a different life, that he wished he wasn’t left with a beast of a brother. Kasuka was the reason Shizuo woke up every morning and did the things he did to keep them alive in a city where it was easier to drown.

This morning was no different. Shizuo woke up to the sound of horses neighing and wagons rattling loudly across the stony street. Bleary-eyed women tied on aprons and prepared to open their shops while farmers slowly headed out to the fields. Shizuo grunted and sat up, his back aching from the hard pavement beneath him. Kasuka remained tightly nestled in Shizuo’s lap and the older brother carefully proceeded to remove him and then cocoon their remaining blankets around his sleeping form. It was time to get some breakfast.

Shizuo stole his meals from places that were just about as dingy as his own existence. Sometimes Kasuka would come with him and use his charming, innocent face to distract a swooning merchant and Shizuo could easily grab a few loaves of a bread or some fruit. But when he could, Shizuo preferred to go alone, where the risk of being caught was lower and failure came from his own inabilities. But Shizuo rarely failed and he had full faith in his thieving skills. It’s how he’d gotten by for so long after all. 

The Marketplace slowly filled up and soon it was brimming with people all searching for the day's necessities. Shizuo carefully crept to the edge of the crowd and looked out. There were so many people that you could easily lose your target if you got in pulled too deep. The bigger, the better. A large wagon rattled by, filled with vegetables and some bundles of hay being pulled by a few horses. An older man led the horses through the sea of people, his mouth moving slowly as if to coo the anxious animals. It was certainly the easiest target Shizuo had seen this week, and he wasted no time in following the wagon as it trailed through the crowd, keeping his head down in fear of being seen. He approached the wagon from behind and continued to follow it slowly, dodging people as he went. At last, the wagon hit a stone in the road and its cargo jostled around, a few vegetables being tossed dangerously close to the edge. Shizuo’s hand darted out at a speed that would put lightening to shame and snatched the ones closest to him and then carefully darted away, keeping the food buried in his pockets. He had done a damn good job today to have found such an easy catch, if he were to say so himself. 

He hummed as he made his way back to the alley, a good mood spurring him on. Shizuo looked up at the early morning sky and thought about his parents and how the clouds above looked like cartons of milk and aimlessly wondered if Kasuka was awake yet. But as he veered off the stone pathway and headed into the Slums, a weird feeling settled into his skin. A few rats poked their heads out of the darkness and disappeared just as quickly, squeaking as they went. A few birds chirped somewhere in the distance. Other than that it was deathly quiet. Shizuo started to sprint.

When he came to the alley, he found Kasuka pushed up against the wall. Two men stood in front of him, one that resembled a grizzled bear who had a hand up against his brother’s chest and the other a scrawny, older man who had a hand in the boy’s dark locks. There was a third present but he lay unmoving on the ground and Shizuo was startled to see the man covered in scratches and bite marks. Kasuka had put up a decent fight before being trapped by the others and Shizuo felt an untimely surge of pride flow through him. 

“You’re as pretty as some of those whores right around the corner,” the burly one purred. His hand moved up to hug Kasuka’s throat and he licked his ear. The scrawny one clapped his hands in delight and the one on the ground, well, didn’t do anything at all. Shizuo only saw red.

“Die you pigs!” Shizuo’s fist slammed into the wall, dust and debris splattering everywhere. The one holding Kasuka immediately dropped him and Shizuo stepped protectively in front of his little brother as he heaved for air on the ground. Shizuo tore off a chunk of stone, ripping it with his hands from its place on the ground and hurled it at the two men who thought this would be a good time to escape. The stone hit the burly one square in the back and he fell to his knees, crumpling to the floor. At this point a crowd had started to form in response to all the commotion and the scrawny man slipped into them, casting a smirk back at Shizuo as he went. The brown-haired boy let out a roar and charged after him, the shrieks and screams of the people around him mere background noise as he honed in on his target.

It all happened in an instant. One moment Shizuo was racing after this low-life of a human being and the next he was dangling off the ground, throwing punches at the air.

“What are ya doing, you brat?” Shizuo locked eyes with a man in fine looking clothes with well groomed black hair. A sword sat low on his hips and a badge stood out proudly on his chest. It was a raven, with its talons outstretched and its dark wings raised to the sky, as if it were to take flight at any second. 

_The badge of the Orihara's…God…God damn it_. The man looked Shizuo up and down critically, as if he were inspecting a particularly nasty rat and trying to decide the fastest way to get rid of it. He hoisted Shizuo higher up in the air and turned to face the ever growing crowd of spectators.

“Oi! Anyone know who this brat is?” Shizuo felt his face burn with shame at the many eyes upon him. Some people shook their heads in honest ignorance. But most nodded in disdain at the sight of the infamous child monster and sneered. A few even spat on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Shizuo recognized Kasuka’s long dark hair and his heart dropped even lower.

“That’s the monster boy,” a cackled voice said. An old man stepped out of the sea of people and pointed an accusatory finger at Shizuo, his wrinkled hand tightly clenching the cane he leaned against. “You best get him out of here. Ain’t nothing but an evil thief who curses the ground he walks upon, God damn devil! Never seen such bad luck brought to this place since I laid my eyes on ‘im.” Murmurs of agreement sounded around him and Shizuo was lowered to the ground. The man beside him gave a signal and two heavy chains of metal were secured to his wrists. A cold feeling settled in his stomach and he looked desperately for Kasuka who continued to watch from afar. A look of fear crossed his brother’s dark eyes. 

“Take this lot to the prison and keep him in there,” the man instructed to the guards who had taken position around them. A slow smirk settled across his features. “I think the prince will enjoy this one.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Thank you for all the kudos and comments that came in from the last chapter! They were much appreciated and encouraged me to get this next chapter out as soon as possible! Enjoy! ^_^

The prison cell itself wasn’t much different than the alley way he called home. For one, he was sitting on the cold, hard stone-check. There were rats scurrying about-check. It was eerily quiet, except for the occasional drip of water-check. And Shizuo was acutely aware of the fact that ominous characters were occupying the spaces around his-check. 

Surprisingly, this was the first time he had ever been arrested. Considering his reputation and the general dislike the public had for him (God knows why. I mean, yes he was a thief and had probably stolen a number of goods from a number of people before but honestly, if they wouldn’t give him a job, what _else_ was he supposed to do? Sit there and starve? Damn.) the act of actually being arrested was new. And he wasn’t even sure what exactly he had been arrested for. Protecting his little brother? Ridding humanity of people who hardly qualify as human? Okay, so maybe tearing up the road and destroying government property would explain part of it. But Shizuo blamed most of his current situation on the damn General or Captain or whatever fancy title the man had. One glance and the self-glorified bastard had put him in here without another word or even inkling of how long he would be stuck in this cell, shackled against the wall in chains. _Figures. Just like all those other rich snobs who’ve been knocked up one too many pegs._

The door to the prison had been opened a few times with guards moving in and out as they swapped shifts. One had come by with a pitcher of water which he offered Shizuo with a strained voice and nervous eyes. Shizuo’s response was a glare which sent the man bolting to the next cell. Shizuo regretted this action when an hour later, his throat took on a texture similar to that of parchment paper. He sagged tiredly against the wall. 

The door opened again, its rusty hinges producing a high-pitched sound that echoed off the stone walls. A small, dark figure entered and then quickly shut the door behind him, disappearing into the shadows painted across the gray floor. There was the click of boots and then the continuing silence. Shizuo watched with one eye cracked open. There were a few quickly muttered whispers-whether they came from the guards or the other prisoners in the neighboring cells, Shizuo couldn’t tell- and then the squeaky door was opened and closed again. Silence draped over this place like a heavy blanket. Shizuo began to close his heavy eyes, his hope evaporating into the musky air. 

“Ah, so this is him. The famous Monster of Ikebukuro.” Shizuo’s eyes flew open and he immediately sat upright at the mention of the vile nickname. If not for the startling red color that stared at him from outside the cell, he would’ve had difficulty locating the voice that spoke to him. The boy was dressed in all black; a black shirt with black pants and black boots to go with it all. Shizuo would have easily mistaken him for one of the shadows dancing around on the floor. A very rich shadow that is, considering that all the boy’s clothes appeared to be made out of fine material, perfectly trimmed to fit his lithe shape. The darkness of the clothes and the dim candlelight made his pale skin look almost ghostly, and for a second Shizuo felt that it wasn’t a boy at all he was looking at but some kind of heavenly vision there to offer back the hope he had let go only a few minutes before. Then the boy opened his mouth and the trance was broken.

“You know, I’ve never met a monster before. Sure, the company down here isn’t too brilliant,” he said, gesturing to the rows of cells that stood before him. “But a part of them is still undeniably human, just as ugly and amusing and unpredictable as the next. But you…” he paused and stepped closer to the cell, grasping the cold, steel bars that separated them. “You are truly a feral beast. I’m surprised there isn’t a bounty on your head like there is on the trolls around here.” The raven-haired boy grinned and tilted his head curiously to the side, as if waiting for some type of show to begin.

Shizuo felt a vein on his neck pop.

“Who in the actual fuck are you.” The words he had bit out were more of a statement rather than a question, and Shizuo was almost as surprised as the boy in front of him that he had said them. He tried to not resort to cursing or physical action to express his feelings and Kasuka would give him a particularly unhappy look when his older brother dropped the f-bomb. But as of now, there was no Kasuka to keep him in check and his bottom was sore from sitting on the floor for so long and God damn it Shizuo was tired of these rich snubs showing their fancy asses. Especially this kid, with his expensive clothes and piercing eyes and whose expression slowly morphed from shock into one of absolute delight.

“So the monster speaks!” He clapped his hands excitedly and pressed himself closer against the bars. Shizuo unconsciously leaned closer to the other as well and a satisfying image of punching that strangely handsome face in flashed through his mind. “And what dirty words spill from its mouth. Tell me beast, do you have a name? Or shall I grab a monster encyclopedia and start rattling off the names in there?” 

Shizuo stared at him for a second as his brain slowly registered the fact that his question had just totally been avoided as well as picking up the hint that he was expected to have some long, drawn out conversation with this smart ass. All while being insulted at the same time. He had never encountered a more annoying-

“It’s Shizuo, flea” he answered, because as much as this low-life didn’t deserve his name it was better than being compared to the monsters that lived in the area.

“A flea! I admit I’ve never heard that one before. Although, no one has ever been so bold as to talk back to me either. Quite boring, really. Perhaps you could relieve me of my boredom? Surely you could at least do that while you sit down here.” He looked at Shizuo from under his eyelashes. Shizuo cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Uhhh-“ 

“Oh, don’t worry. You don’t have to tell me a joke or make up a story to amuse me. Are commoners smart enough to do those sorts of things?” He frowned as if seriously considering the question then shrugged, as if it were a problem he could dissect later.

“So, who are you aga-“ The boy clapped his hands.

“Alright! Twenty questions it is!”

“Twenty what-“

“First question. Are you from the Slums?” The boy looked down and started polishing a fingernail. Shizuo stared. It wasn’t like he was noticing how long the boy’s lashes were or anything, or how he was so small that he could be mistaken for a girl. The boy waved a hand without looking up. 

“Ehem. The question please.” Shizuo blinked.

“Uh, well, yes.”

“Aha! I thought so.” The boy jumped up and ran a hand through his hair as if he had just made a great discovery. Shizuo wanted to tell him that most commoners came from the Slums and to _get off your high horse, perhaps a small pony would be more suitable in case walking would dirty your boots too much?_ but the boy was already firing off another question.

“Do you know who those men were?”

“You mean those pieces of trash from earlier,” Shizuo growled.

“I suppose, if guards of the royal family are considered trash now. A commoner’s line of thinking?” Shizuo’s head snapped up in shock.

“Those men were…guards?” The boy sighed and gave a small shake of his head.

“Someone isn’t very observant. All guards have black uniforms if they’re from the Orihara Empire. Those from the Douglanikov Empire wear blue. Color blind? I heard it’s a common problem among commoners. Or maybe, you must’ve just seen red, didn’t you?” The boy smiled and Shizuo shuffled around angrily.

“Who gives a damn who they were? If they’re Orihara guards then they’re shitty. If they’re Douglanikov guards then they’re shitty. Putting their hands on a boy. So God damn gross, I’d kill them if I saw them again.” The words were spoken so sincerely and with so much force that Shizuo was sure that anyone else would’ve ran off and whispered the word _monster_ as they fled. But this boy just grinned and gave a small nod.

“Such threats! You have experience with these guards? Or maybe…” He paused for a second in thought and then snapped his fingers. “Your father was a guard.”

“I- yes, actually. How did you figure it out?” Shizuo stared at him in surprise. The boy offered another smile. He seemed to like smiling. In reality, this conversation was just amusing the Hell out of him.

“The war was a tragedy for both sides,” he said simply, his words coming out softly. Shizuo felt himself relax at his tone.

“Yeah.” A few beats of silence passed between them before the boy stood up and spun around.

“Enough questions for you! Let’s talk about me!” The boy tilted his head and looked at Shizuo with narrow eyes. “Tell me, Shizu-chan. Has your little beasty brain figured out who _I_ am?

Shizuo strained against his shackles.

“Shizu-chan?” he repeated bitterly, echoing the nickname with a hint of disgust. The raven haired boy’s smile faltered. 

“Yes, yes, you are Shizu-chan. And I am…?” Shizuo started playing with the shackles on his wrists, a complete aura of disinterest radiating off of him. He could sense the boy waiting for him, waiting for the right answer to be spoken and for petals to be thrown and a choir to appear and start singing praises of how wonderful he was and _you see Shizu-chan? This is the difference between you and I_ but no words were ever said. As far as the dark-haird boy could tell, Shizuo wasn’t even thinking about it. Was he really playing dumb? Shizuo stopped banging his handcuffs together in an attempt to make music to find the boy staring at him with a look of astonishment. “You…really don’t know who I am?”

“Why? You important or somethin’?” A few moments of silence passed between them where the boy continued to gaze at Shizuo like he had grown three heads and Shizuo, uncomfortable with the attention, went back to clinking his handcuffs together, the sound of metal being the only noise that filled the otherwise hushed room. Some footsteps sounded overhead. A person a few cells down coughed. Someone shouted to _stop making all that damn racket up there!_ Just as someone else shouted to _just close your God damn mouth already Harold! So God damn hard to please, all the time!_ Which eventually turned into a shouting match between Harold and the other inmate until a few guards ran down and threatened to take away the daily bread from everybody at the end of the hall if they didn’t shut their traps and behave. Shizuo, who had had enough dealing with prison guards already that day decided to stop his musical ventures and leaned back against the wall. Footsteps retreated. Someone, presumably Harold, could be heard grumbling from afar. And there was giggling. Shizuo watched with surprise as the boy in front of him exploded into fits of excited laughter, throwing his hands to the ceiling as if in disbelief. He fixed Shizuo with the same inquisitive look that he had given him all afternoon. 

“My goodness Shizu-chan! I knew commoners were slow but you must set some type of record! Are you even aware that a royal family occupies this city?” Shizuo fixed him with a cold look.

“Ikebukuro is neutral ground,” he growled. “At least, that’s what the agreement was, after the war.” Shizuo felt a shudder pass through him. He told himself it was just because of the cold, stony floor. 

“Did you know the Orihara family has a son?” Shizuo was thrown by the sudden question. 

“Uh, no?”

“No? He’s not well-liked by the public, Prince Izaya that is. Most people think that he’s a-good-for-nothing child, a mistake that somehow got produced by the family’s bloodline. And the only male heir too! Quite unfortunate, really. There’s a rumor going around that he’s not the queen’s real son, that he’s a bastard from some kitchen whore. They say that he’s messed up somewhere in his head, and is completely emotionless. Or was it that he lacked empathy? I can’t remember, there’s so much gossip all time! I think there’s a new rumor actually going around about his eyes, yes his eyes! They say he must be part-demon because he’s eyes are such an unusual shade of red. Part monster.” This last word he followed with another laugh, as if the idea of being a monster was completely ridiculous, a joke told by a witty jester. But then he looked at Shizuo with his broken red eyes and the blonde felt a shiver go up his spine. _Part monster._ Shizuo leaned away from the wall and thought about the boy’s tone from earlier.

“Prince Izaya is a monster all right.” The boy (or Izaya, Shizuo decided to begrudgingly think of him as. He wasn’t doing all that honorific crap though) opened his mouth as if to protest but Shizuo continued. “Got a God damn mouth on him, make things less painful if he just tore my ears off. Then I wouldn’t have to hear him go on about himself. A bastard? Part-demon? Gimme a break! His biggest problem is that he’s a shitty flea, that’s what he’s gotta take care of first. Who cares if he’s part monster anyways? There’s nothing wrong with that.” Shizuo huffed in annoyance, as if these things should be obvious and he was wasting his breath having to speak them aloud. Izaya’s mouth slowly closed and a strange look washed over him. 

“Are most people from the Slums like this?”

“Eh? Like what?” Izaya turned away and slowly began to pace, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Shizuo thought he heard him say _does he really not know?_ But decided to stay silent and leave the flea to his ramblings. The blonde was suddenly struck by just how unbothered he felt by this kid. Sure, he was an arrogant ass before and needed to learn when to shut up. By his words had shook Shizuo deeply. The Orihara Prince was lonely and he had just discovered an infamous monster. Quite the compatible duo. Mostly Shizuo wondered how he ended up in this situation, talking to the Prince and listening to his sob story while Shizuo awkwardly tried to comfort him in his very Shizuo-like way in the first place. Izaya stopped pacing and looked up, gazing at Shizuo steadily as if he had just reached a definite decision about something. Shizuo frowned at his expression. A bad feeling was radiating off of him. A twisted feeling. Malicious. 

“What’s wrong Shizu-chan? Are you really trying to comfort the Prince?” Izaya smiled and stepped closer to the cell, following Shizuo’s eyes carefully. “Let me tell you something. A member of the Orihara Family is not to be coddled. Never by commoner trash. And certainly never by a lowly mo~nst~er.” He tilted his head towards the blonde as if to make his point all the more clear. Shizuo felt like he had been kicked in the stomach and he felt his blood slowly start to simmer. He didn’t understand why the raven-haired boy was being like this. Hadn’t he just shared a very personal story? And hadn’t he listened and tried to offer his empathy? Was he just so below the rest of society that he couldn’t even make peace with a being as messed up as himself? 

“What the Hell,” he growled angrily, a flash of heat pulsing through him.

“What was that beast? You’ll have to speak up and try to talk like a regular person.”

“I said what the Hell, you God damn flea! What kind of shit are you trying to pull? You wanna piss me of all of the sudden? Huh?”

“Oh, no. I was simply trying to reiterate a point that seemed to soar right over your little beasty brain. You think you’re human? You think we could be friends after talking for five minutes? You think you’re like me or even like the rest of this scum down here?” He laughed hysterically and pressed himself against the prison bars, his hands curling around the cold steel. Shizuo tried to focus on breathing normally.

“Is it fun pretending to be human? I must say that you’ve been doing it for quite some time, playing this game of make believe. But your mask is wearing thin, you see! It’s become so very frayed around the edges. Whatever will you do when it completely falls apart? Go live in the wild where you can truly embrace your beastliness?”

“St-stop.” Shizuo strained against his shackles, the pressure cutting into him and leaving angry marks. 

“No, listen here animal. You are nothing more than a rodent.” Dust was starting to break away from the walls.

“A creature that scurries around with its disgusting little feet and acts like it has a purpose.” Shizuo’s face was red and his body trembled. 

“Unwanted.” He clenched his teeth.

“Unneeded.” There was a groan of metal.

“You should be squashed, like the bug you are. Under. My.Feet.” 

“ENOUGH!” The cuffs snapped into and Shizuo launched himself from the wall in rage of fury, the chain securing him snapped in two as he tore open the cell’s bars. The wall behind him caved in and chunks of stone fell as Shizuo felt his hands wrap around Izaya’s skinny throat. A few prisoners shouted in alarm and footsteps thundered overhead. A rush of guards poured in and surrounded the pair, all weapons drawn and pointed towards the angry blonde who gazed into excited red eyes. A familiar voice sounded behind him.

“Ah, should’ve known something like this would happen,” the Captain said, looking at the scene with disinterest. Izaya chuckled and Shizuo felt the sound vibrate in his throat. It was then the gravity of what he had just done hit him and he dropped his hold on the Prince, collapsing to his knees. He stared at his hands in disbelief and looked slowly around him. His cell was in ruins, the bars bent and the wall completely given away after the force he used. A dozen spears pointed at his chest, faces of disgust and fear eyeing him as they waited orders. At that moment Shizuo wanted to die. Rather do it now than have thousands of people watch him at the Executioner’s Block, cheering for the axe to swing down and end his meager life. He bowed his head in agony. Someone started clapping and the spears that had been pointed at him were drawn away. Shizuo stared at Izaya angrily as the boy came near, applauding as he skipped forward.

“Very nice! Very nice! You are quite the rare creature after all, hmm Shizu-chan?” Shizuo wished he had killed him. He did nothing but glare at him, his anger still seething. Izaya only smiled wider.“It would be a problem for you to stay here now, with all the damage you’ve caused. Attempting to kill the royal heir to the Orihara Empire is also a problem. A major offense. A trip to the old block, if you know what I mean.” Shizuo drew in a shaky breath.

“So go.” Shizuo stared in confusion as Izaya pushed him into a standing position and started to urge him forward.

“Go you animal, get out of here!” Shizuo stumbled forward and turned around to lock eyes with the raven-haired boy who simply gave him a small smile and a wave. More guards sounded overhead. Shizuo spun around, jumping over chunks of stone as he sprinted off. He needed to get away. Far away. Izaya sighed as he watched the retreating figure.

“What a pain. Captain, make up a story to explain all of this,” Izaya said, waving a hand towards the destruction around them. The Captain mumbled something like _always stuck in these situations_ as Izaya gazed off in the distance.

“We’ll meet again Shizu-chan.” He hummed as he picked his way back upstairs, chuckling as the guards coming down looked at the scene in front of them with pure confusion. He swung the squeaky door open and skipped down the hall.

“I’ll make sure of it.”  
***  
Shizuo stood in the woods catching his breath. His hands burned, remembering the feel of Izaya’s throat beneath them. So pale and thin. It would’ve been easy to break, like snapping a twig. He hated him, hated how he offered empathy only to turn around and then laugh at his face. It was all a game, making it not much of a wonder why the people didn’t care for him. 

In reality though, Shizuo felt a pang of disappointment. He had _wanted_ to keep talking to the boy, even if he was some royal, stuck-up Prince. For a brief moment, he felt a connection to someone that he had only ever felt with Kasuka. Understanding. Sensitivity, even.

That night, he dreamed of a raven with piercing red eyes. He remembered wanting to kill it, wanting the annoying beast to leave him in peace and be gone. But he also remembered it being mesmerizing and beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the dialogue wasn't too rushed? I wanted to get this out there before I leave for a few days, so things came out a bit muddled. My bad, I'll take more time with the next chapter!
> 
> And in the next chapter: There's a time skip. Our protagonists meet 5 years later. Not much changes.


	3. Chapter Three

All things considered, Shizuo would say that the last five years had gone by…relatively well. 

After the whole “threatening to kill the prince” and everything, Shizuo had grabbed Kasuka and moved to the outer edges of the city. If they actually had the means to move elsewhere, they certainly would have. Shizuo was a wanted criminal after all with a hefty bounty on his head. 

Or so he thought.

In truth, Shizuo’s life had become notably easier after his meeting with Izaya Orihara. If a guard noticed him in passing, he merely inclined his head and went on about his business. Obtaining food had become a straightforward process, appearing almost magically at his feet whenever he was about to go out and steal. Sure, he still lived in an alleyway with criminals nearby and people in general didn’t like him all too much. But things were looking up. 

“Creepy ass flea,” Shizuo mumbled as he hastily grabbed the loaf of bread sitting innocently on the street. It had been wrapped delicately in a napkin and wisps of steam still floated out of it. It was fresh. Shizuo glanced around but saw no one on the street, no figures crouching in the corner- excluding the usual hooded figures that is. Sighing, Shizuo turned around started back around the corner. Only to trip on something that felt very solid, and very human.

“Kasuka!” The blonde heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of his younger brother who sat casually on the ground. “Almost gave me a heart attack. You okay?”

“Fine.” The handsome Heiwajima gazed up at him, his flat gaze revealing nothing. He stared at Shizuo openly from his place below, his impassive expression poking at Shizuo’s patience.

“Wha-what it is.”

“You come out here a lot.” The statement came out indifferently but Shizuo could feel intent behind it. 

“It’s only so we can eat Kasuka.”

“No.” Kasuka slightly tilted his head, brown locks sweeping across his face. “I mean you come out here a _lot_. And you wait.” Shizuo’s mouth suddenly felt very dry.

“Well, damn! I just wanna know who’s been leaving all this stuff here for us!” He gestured to the expanse of blankets and bread that cluttered the alley. “Besides,” he continued, sitting down next to his brother, “we both know it all shouldn’t be here. _I_ shouldn’t be here. I still don’t know why-" Shizuo stopped short, clenching his fists against his side. Kasuka politely looked away, letting the conversation die a peaceful death as he gazed into the street. Shizuo had never really talked about what happened during his time in the Orihara Prison. But it was clear that something-or more specifically, someone- continued to haunt the older Heiwajima’ s thoughts, and Kasuka would often find his brother watching the clouds roll by or aimlessly walking the streets, his brow furrowed as if he were trying to figure out a complicated algorithm. Kasuka left him alone. Even when Shizuo would encounter gangs or criminals looking for a fight and the blonde appeased them, Kasuka left him alone. If it helped him blow off some steam, helped him forget about the algorithm that he so constantly tossed around in his mind, Kasuka figured the violence was a good thing. A distraction, if nothing else. Kasuka sighed and lowered his head on Shizuo’s shoulder who had begun to tear at the loaf of bread irritably. 

“Brother.”

“Eh?”

“I have a favor to ask.” Shizuo’s angry chewing lessened.

“Mhm?”

“Come into town with me.” The angry chewing slowed down to a more thoughtful type of chewing, as if the loud sounds from before were making Kasuka’s words difficult to comprehend.

“Town?” A swallow, followed swiftly by a frown. “Listen Kasuka, I know this is farther from the Market Place and all that but you understand _why_ we can’t just-"

“Just for today.” Kasuka rose, tugging lightly on Shizuo’s arm to pull him into a standing position. “Just for today,” he repeated, more loudly, more earnestly. Shizuo’s sigh was loud and dramatic. 

“Alright!” The blonde’s hands shot in the air in defeat. “I don’t know why we’re doing this but fine! We can go back if you really need to.”

“Thank you, brother.” Shizuo’s eyes softened.

“Just for today though.” Kasuka hummed in agreement.

“Just for today.”  
***  
Shizuo was starting to regret this.

Sure, it had been awhile since they had gone back to the Slums. And he expected the Market Place to be crowded like it usually was. But on the day he needed to see as few people as possible, it would seem that every citizen in Ikebukuro had decided to come out and walk the streets. Kids were running around completely unattended, old men smoked in the shade, vendors pushed wagons filled with trinkets, dogs sniffed around in trash dumps.

All so Kasuka could watch some street performers.

“Kasuka!” Shizuo hissed, grabbing his brother’s sleeve. “What the hell? I thought we were here for something actually important.” Kasuka continued to watch the actors dance around for a few more moments before slowly turning to look at his frazzled brother.

“This is important. I like watching them act.” Shizuo squinted at the performers with their dramatic gestures and heavy makeup and tried to figure out what it was he was missing out on. 

“Okay, I’m glad you have an interest but does it have to be now? With all these people here? There’s like an event or something going on and I’m tired of being-" A man bumped into Shizuo, elbowing him in the stomach while a couple of kids sprinted past him, carelessly running over his feet. 

“-jostled around damn it!” Shizuo wrapped an arm protectively around his side and glared at the people around him, his fuse running short. Kasuka glanced at the actors and looked back at his brother.

“Nii-chan.”

“ _What_. Can we go now?”

“Those glasses.” Kasuka reached up and adjusted the shades hiding his brother’s eyes. “They suit you.” Shizuo’s tense shoulders immediately relaxed at the simple contact and he lowered his gaze, his anger lost amongst the heat and chatter.

“Th-their just to, ya know, hide my face. Just found them in the garbage. Piece of trash but, ya know, thought they’d be useful.” He shuffled his feet and Kasuka smiled at the pink blush that dusted his brother’s ears. And then promptly turned back to the show in front of him. Shizuo snapped back up in attention, his original purpose coming back to him.

“ _Hey_ , Kasuka.”

“HEY, I SEE IT!” A woman started to point down the road and all of a sudden, a thousand bodies were pushing Shizuo forward, voices raised in excitement as more and more people fought their way to the edge of the main street. 

“The procession!”

“How grand!”

“The Orihara siblings! Oh, the two little girls are just lovely!”

“Even the prince, I heard he’s quite handsome now. Despite his…weirdness.” Shizuo’s heart beat quickened. 

“There! There!” Trumpets blared and a parade of guards marched into appearance, clearing people away and forming a line for the rest of the procession to follow. Beautifully brushed horses pulled along fancy wagons and chariots, noble lords and ladies smiling and waving from within. Dancers weaved in and out, scattering rose petals as they went as swords men stuck close to the horses, ravens perched smartly on their shoulders. It was glorious and new. It lifted the burdens that the common people felt chained by everyday and offered, for a few moments, a vision of something greater. Of a different world. A beautiful world. 

Shizuo felt claustrophobic. 

“Kasuka!” He yelled his brother’s name, his face a lost blur amongst the crowd. Shizuo tried to move back but the wall of bodies was strong and undaunted. Everyone kept moving forward. 

“H-hey, could you stop pushing.” One step, two steps, three. The person beside him smelt like fish. A woman in front had a thick line of sweat draped adorning her heck. 

“Oi!” The excitement grew even stronger as an especially large carriage came into view, a raven with its wings fanned out crowning the top of it. Thick, black horses decorated with wreaths pulled it along as a band of guards led them, glaring at any hand that reached out too far or at any person who stared for too long.  
Shizuo stumbled forward. His glasses slid off and hit the ground with a resounding “smack!” The woman in front of him turned around. She stared at Shizuo for a moment in irritation before a sudden realization smacked her in the face. A look of fear swayed in her eyes.

“Mo-monster,” she mouthed, one hand cupping her cheek as the other shakily pointed. “You’re the monster.” Shizuo’s own hands cupped his face instinctively; panic was building up in his chest. “Monster!” The woman screamed, her yell drowned by the excitement. She grabbed Shizuo’s arm in haste and pushed him forward, her yells continuing as he was jolted forward. More people had started to turn and look. 

“It’s him!” 

“The boy! I thought he was killed…”

“G-get him out of here, he might hurt someone!” Hands dragged and pushed and then suddenly, Shizuo was in front of them all, bent over on the ground.

A line of spears greeted him.

“Wait, please!” Shizuo’s eyes darted around quickly, looking for an escape route. The people behind him began to jeer and throw trash, the garbage inadvertently hitting the guards and horses in the process. The guards in turn began to move forward, urging the people back. The chaos had started to reach a climax.  


And then the door to the carriage opened. A strange silence fell over the city, as the commoners looked up in awe and the guards looked up in shock. The heir to the Orihara throne, Prince Izaya Orihara, stepped out and observed the masses before him. A long black cape was swept across his shoulders and a sword hung lazily from his hip. Dark hair covered crimson eyes, but did nothing to cover the smile that graced his lips. A certain air seemed to surround him; something dark, and dangerous. A raven crowed from up ahead. 

“Get on yer knees and show some respect! Your Highness,” a guard muttered, head bowed, “we should really get the procession moving again.” Izaya turned to look at him, his red gaze cold.

“We’ll move when I decide it’s time for us to move. Now,” he clapped his hands and skipped gracefully off the carriage steps, the guards parting before him. “What’s going on over here?” One step, two steps, three. 

Shizuo kept his head bowed, his hair obscuring his vision. He knew as soon as he heard that voice who was coming, could sense him as soon as he stepped out of the carriage. The crunch of boots stopped and Shizuo could just see the dark tip of his shoes. One pale hand reached out and grabbed his chin, tilting his face upwards. 

Shizuo felt the air go out of him. The same two crimson eyes that haunted his thoughts and danced in his dreams stared back at him, ablaze with excitement. A thumb moved delicately across Shizuo’s cheek, as if checking to make sure he was real. His words were a whisper, heard only by them, but it was if someone had shouted them next to Shizuo’s ears.

“I’ve found you again, my monster.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the comments and kudos everyone! Means a lot to know you guys are enjoying the story :) I also wanted to quickly say that the chapters will be shorter from now on as it just takes me too long to get them out. (is easily distracted by cats and anime). 
> 
> And in the next chapter: The reunion of a commoner and a prince. Words are spoken and punches are given.

**Author's Note:**

> And in the next chapter: Little Shizuo encounters Little Izaya and hates him within five sconds of their meeting. Ahhh, young love ^_^


End file.
